Pleat holder for pressing machines



March 28, 1961 G. w. PLANTIER, SR 2,976,626

PLEAT HOLDER FOR PRESSING MACHINES Filed Sept. 25, 1959 IN V EN TOR.

GEORGE I PZA/VT/ffi $2.

HTTO/QA/EY United States Patent:

PLEAT HOLDER FOR PRESSING MACHINES George W. Plantier, Sr., 24 Grove Ave., Wolcott, Conn.

Filed Sept. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 342,479

1 Claim. (Cl. 38-12) This invention relates to clothes pressing machines and is directed particularly to an attachment for such machines to facilitate the steam pressing of pleated skirts, dresses and the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved pleat holder for use with commercial pressing machines which is operative to hold a pleated garment in adjusted position upon the lower pressing form or buck of the machine prior to the pressing operation.

A more particular object of this invention is to provide a pleat holder attachment of the character described, which comprises a plurality of cloth tapes, wound upon individual spring rollers arranged in coaxial relation in an elongated housing adapted to be secured at one side of a steam pressing machine, the tapes being adapted to be drawn over and lie upon a pleated garment in adjusted position on the machine buck, and having weights scured to their lower ends to maintain them in position until the completion of the pressing operation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pleat holder attachment for pressing machines which comprises only a few and simple parts, which is foolproof and etficient in operation, and which will be very durable in use.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a steam pressing machine having a pleat holder embodying the present invention attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pleat holder, shown separately on a larger scale,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the pleat holder attachment taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating the weighted tapes which hold the pleated garment in adjusted position during the pressing operation, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view, on a still larger scale, taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the reference numeral designates generally the pleat holder embodying the invention and which is attached to the back frame portion F of a conventional steam pressing machine P, having a lower pressing element or buck B upon which the garment G to be pressed is placed, and also having an upper pressing element E adapted to be moved downwardly into pressing relation as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The pleat holder 10 comprises an elongated hollow box-like housing 11 which may be made of wood, for example, and within which are secured, in longitudinally spaced relation, a plurality of bearing brackets 12 (four in the embodiment illustrated), for providing journalling means for three short ratchet spring rollers 13 in coaxial disposition, which rollers 13 preferably are similar to ordinary shade rollers. Fixed at one end to the center of each of the rollers 13, are elongated tapes or straps 14, preferably of a strong flexible cloth, the width of each tape being only a small part of the length of its respective roller 13.

The housing 11 has a front panel 15 provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 16 (Fig. 2), one for each roller 13, and of a length shorter than said rollers 13, through which slots the respective tapes 14 are adapted to freely pass. Fixed to the free outer end of each of the tapes 14 is a heavy cylindrical weight 17, which may be of metallic lead for example. As illusdtrated in Fig. 4, the front panel 15 may be secured by hinges 18, to the bottom panel 19 of the housing 11, to facilitate the opening thereof for repair or for replacement of the tapes 14.

Operation In operation, the pleat holder 10 will be secured to the back frame portion F of the steam pressing machine P, in spaced parallel relation with the back of the lower pressing element or buck B. The pleated garment G to be pressed will first be placed in adjusted position upon the buck B of the pressing machine after which the tapes 14 will be pulled out over the buck B and allowed to lie upon the garment G to hold the pleats in adjusted position thereon.

The slots 16 through which said tapes 14 extend, are made long enough to allow considerable sideward movement in either direction as may be required for properly holding a garment in adjusted position. The tapes 14 thus will maintain the garment pleats in position under all conditions.

The spring rollers 13 are preferably of the type having ratchet and catch mechanisms allowing extension of the tapes 14 to any desired length, and which will rewind under spring tension upon release of the catch mechanism when the tapes 14 are rapidly pulled out. It will thus be apparent that the tapes 14 can be quickly and easily wound upon the rollers 13 and upon completion of the pressing operation will be clear of the pressing machine mechanism until needed again.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other equivalent forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Let ters Patent is:

A pleat holder for a steam pressing machine having a lower buck, said machine including an elongated hollow box-like housing member secured in parallel relation to said lower buck, a plurality of spring ratchet and catch rollers journalled in coaxial disposition within said housing member, flexible tapes secured to each of said rollers and operative to be wound on said rollers, respectively, weights secured to the outer ends of each of said tapes for keeping said tapes taut, said tapes being adapted to overlie a pleated garment for holding it flat upon said lower buck during the pressing operation, said housing having a hinged front cover provided with elongated slots which permit the free passage of said tapes therethrough and the angular swinging thereof from side to side.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

